Daily Republican., 1887-07-27
The new SOUTH.

The train that rushed out of the
wide winding suburbs o. Washington
down into Virginia, In the dawn of a
cold February morning, was filled with
Northerners going TO New Orleans.
They had, oddly enough, the alert,
|expectant air of explorers into an un-
known country. The men looked out
on the sleepy streets of Alexandria
with as critical eyes as If 1t had been
its namesake in Egypt, and the women
buttoned their tight ulsters more close.
| ly, and slung their alligator satchels
TO their sides in readiness for any
Emergency.
They were intelligent people of the
class who have leisure; they were ia
miliar with the upper range of States;
many of them ran over to Europe or
to California every summer. But the
three -cornered segment of their coun.
try, which had q climate history, and
character of its own, was foreign to
them as Arabia Felix.
II was In the South thirty years
ago." said one fidgety old gentleman.
"Visited a college found in Eastern
Virginia. Queer lifel Great scramb-
ling house in large plantation, crowd
ed with guests; leaky roof, magnificent
old family plate, patched carpets, ne
groes swarming everywhere. Saddled
horses hitched always by the door in
case you wanted to cross field. Old
families, each with its coat of arms
and pride of birth. The most gener-
GUS, unmethodical, kindly people in
the world"
The old gentleman in his enthusiasm
took off his silk travelling cap, letting
the cold wind blow over his bald head,
with its fringe of gray hair. His wife
"a pudgy, prim little woman-re-
placed 1t with: "You forget, my
my dearP'
"Yes, yes, l forgot that I'm bro
ken -dow1 old invalid when think of
those days. 1t makes me lad again
to get into the South" turning 10 his
Listening neighbors. "l've been pas
Itor of a church in western New York
for forty years, you see. Never took
la holiday. Some chronic trouble set
in last fall, and the doctors said-Eu-
Irope. My people raised the money at
once. But said, I'll go South and
Irest. No Europe for me. Why, gen.
Itlemen, in all the drive and struggle
Iof those forty years, the remembrance
of the leisure and quiet, the laziness,
Iif you like, Of the South has come be-
fore me like glimpse of the isles of
the blest. Lille there is not all money
Igctting. They take it as they CO."
| His companions listened to the ca
Iger talk OF the garrulous old fellow
with asserting mods and smiles, he
. being one of those people to whom the
world in all its humor says yes and
i smiles. But they did not all agree
; with him. Having the usual large,
careless good humor of the American, l.,
: they had no lingering grudge or bit
iterness against the South because of
! the war. But it was alien to them, as
! it had always been, there were men
iwbose occupations and thoughts ran
j in fixed and narrow ruts, and like the
great mass of average Northerners
!. they knew of the South only through
! long-ag recollections or hearsay ira
!. . ditions. 1t was in their minds Q
e Vague tropical stretch of sugar anG
cotton and lice fields, peopled by indo
IS lent, arrogant men and naughty, Ian
d guild women their feet still firmly SCI
!: on tie necks of the negro race.
4 The names of the stations, too, be
. gan to recall the fact that they wer'
in once hostile country, and among
a people who had been their foe. Al
THE conductor shouted Fairfax
Manassas" "Cu'peper," they looi g
tout eagerly at the snow-covered field
land the unpainted wooden station
houses which replaced the bricl
lQueen Anne villas affected by north
. ern railways. expecting to find some
thing novel and foreign.
A pursy young man from Chicago
was superciliously calling attention t,
the worm fences, the lean fields, tn
Itorlorn houses, etc., as:
"Wretchedly poor, sir. Now, ther
lie really no excuse for such poverty
Even grant that the State was lai'
waste by the war. All that was twent
!, Iyears ago. Twenty years is ennug
), ior any man to get uron his leg
!, = Iagain."
!" at is all due to q lack of energy,
s Idecisively said close -snaven, trim Ii,
tile iron-master from Pennsylvania
J, I"We all know the South. Some c
1.-THE best books in American literatur
-Iare descriptions of these people. Di
Iyou ever read uncle Toms Cabin
or "A FOOLS Errandr They show yo
THAT q more indolent, incapable, pig
lheaded race never breathed. The me
lspend their time in idling, dueling an
drinking The women are merel
lovely, helpless babies"
Mr.. Ely, the old clergyman, with a
!. Indignant snort, girdled himself I
make battle; but at that moment tn
{ train stopped in the suburbs of Chal
lotteville. Steep streets ran up int
the picturesque town, back of who's
peaked roofs rose the snowy hills. !
crowd of students from The universit
filled the platform. An elderly mar
after much hand shaking with then
, lentered the car.
i, "Hellop said Mr.. Ely. Surely
know that face, Sarah. Except for th
ltald bead" He bristled up. :.
beg pardon. 1t is a long time ago; bl
: are you not Woolaston Pogue? al
James Ely. Don't you remember2
=. visited the Meddills in Accomac in 81
~ and YOU"
T. "Bless my SOUL OF course ! r.
CT member. Why, my dear sir, l a
glad to see you back in Virginia. All
how has the world used you in q
u these years2"
well, well, roughly enough" sa
Ely, with sigh. He had, in fact,